


The Antique Shop

by alpacamyhedgehog



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Backstory, Blatant Exploitation of Capitalism, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, One Shot, Outrageously-colored Furniture, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 01:28:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3362717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alpacamyhedgehog/pseuds/alpacamyhedgehog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An explanation of why and how Abe runs an antique shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Antique Shop

The antique shop in Forever is so brilliant, though.  
It had to have been Abe’s idea, even though a lot of the antiques are (were?!) Henry’s. Henry has to keep up with the times in his interior decorating to avoid suspicion, but since he’s somewhat sentimental, he probably keeps some of his old furniture in storage.

Imagine Abe as a teenager or a young man, at that stage of life where everything becomes a get-rich-quick scheme, finding Henry’s antiques in storage. He glances at a mid-nineteenth century settee, a Gilded Age vase, and dozens of other objects, all in pristine condition. It’s practically a gold mine.

For Henry, all of these things represent long-gone friends and events from other places, other lifetimes. But he eventually humors Abe, although he still cringes at the thought of parting with certain items. He’s almost surprised when the business takes off.

The antiques sell so well that Abe is able to use the profits to buy more antiques. He’s really good at this, because he can practically smell a bargain anywhere in the city. He won’t step over a dead body for a good deal though, because, unlike a certain pair of dealers, he has standards, but his adventures with Henry have taken him pretty close.

Henry is glad that Abe has something to keep him preoccupied while he’s busy with science or a case. On the other hand, Abe sees the store as a way to provide for Henry after he’s gone. Oh, he knows Henry will never be interested in dealing antiques, but who knows? Maybe medicine will get taken over by robots one of these days. You have to keep your options open in this economy. In any case, he’s managed to set aside a tidy sum to help Henry continue his research.

Occasionally, Abe buys newer furniture and collectors’ items in good condition and puts them in storage. Having internalized Henry’s principle that history repeats itself, he figures that all of these objects will one day be in demand as antiques, and he (or Henry) will be able to sell them in the shop with a sizeable markup. Still, he has mixed feelings when he sees items that were brand new when he was younger return to vogue status as “vintage.” He mutters that this may make him a decent profit, but he’s not sure feeling so old is worth it. Henry smirks and says Abe doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Despite his complaints, Abe has become quite skilled in guessing what will become valuable in a few decades. He supposes this is something he’s learned by living with Henry. Most of the time he’s spot-on, but it doesn’t always work out: he may have managed to avoid Beanie Babies in the nineties, but he’s still waiting for that furry, avocado-colored couch to come back into fashion.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my Tumblr page: http://alpacamyhedgehog.tumblr.com/post/100783943545/the-antique-shop-in-forever-is-so-brilliant
> 
> I am the original author of this work, and all rights to this fic belong to me.


End file.
